COA flags ‘excessive’ local, foreign travels of Calida’s office

Commission on Audit (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

State auditors have flagged the “excessive” local and foreign travel expenses of the Office of the Solicitor General.

The Commission on Audit (COA), in its 2017 annual audit report, said that Solicitor General Jose Calida’s office should refund the “excess claims on traveling allowance,” amounting to a total of ₱131,892.64.

The COA noted that allowable travel expenses prescribed in Executive Order No. 28 “were not strictly followed resulting in excessive claims for local and foreign travel allowances totaling P53,796.00 and P78,096.64, respectively.”

In addition, it noted that 31 advances and liquidations on travels “were not properly documented in violation of EO 298.”

“We noted that claims for local and foreign travels totaling to ₱53,796.00 and ₱78,096.64, respectively, were more than the allowable travel expenses,” the COA further said in its report.

“Also, some receipts for hotels were not supported with certification by the head of the agency that those expenses were absolutely necessary (for) the performance of their assignments as required in the above provisions,” the COA report added.  /kga